Friday, May 22, 2026
Welcome to another Friday edition of the Tech:NYC Digest, featuring our favorite five highlights in New York and tech this week.
Programming alert: We’ll be off Monday for Memorial Day. We’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday.
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There’s a free bus between Williamsburg and Prospect Park this summer (Secret NYC)
Getting from Williamsburg to Prospect Park is notoriously difficult, so a… *checks notes* skincare brand is stepping in by launching its own shuttle to fix it (temporarily). 🚍
The Ordinary’s free “Ordinary Bus” will run from May 26 to June 9, connecting Domino Park to Prospect Park in a direct route that’s projected to cut travel time in half.
The bus will operate on weekdays from noon to 7pm and on weekends from 8am to 7pm.
Stowaway fox gets clean bill of health and a name: Basil (like ‘dazzle’) (New York Times)
Talk about Fox news: After traveling 3,600 miles hidden on a cargo ship from England to NYC in February, a red fox is now healthy, and officially named Basil. 🐾
The fox spent months at the Bronx Zoo being treated for a rare parasite before fully recovering and gaining a few pounds along the way.
Officials are now deciding where Basil will live long-term, after what may be one of the strangest trips to New York in recent memory.
Things to do in NYC over Memorial Day weekend (Time Out New York)
From parades that honor the fallen to the official opening of public beaches, the city is packed with ways to spend the long weekend. ☀️
Signature events include the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade and the Little Neck–Douglaston parade, alongside concerts, ship tours, and ceremonies honoring service members.
And looking ahead to next week: Award-winning journalists Patrick Radden Keefe and Nayeema Raza will be at the Comedy Cellar on Tuesday, May 26, from 6-7:30pm for a conversation on ambition, grift, and where the line gets blurry. More here.
Office buildings are becoming NYC’s newest wedding venues (Curbed)
Landlords are turning high-rise offices into luxury event spaces and couples are lining up to buy in. 💍
Developers are converting rooftop lounges at places like The Refinery at Domino — where Tech:NYC, Pensar, and Two Trees hold our monthly NYC AI Demos — into wedding venues with skyline views, with some spaces renting for $100,000 or more.
The trend is part of a post-pandemic pivot by office buildings to find new revenue streams, while couples get epic backdrops for their big day.
Sing for Hope celebrates 25 years with 25 pianos, bringing music to the streets of New York (Our Town)
A citywide art project brings public pianos to parks and plazas, turning everyday spaces into spontaneous music stages. 🎹
Sing for Hope is placing 25 artist-designed pianos across the city for anyone — from professionals to total beginners — to sit down and play.
After a few weeks outdoors, the pianos will be donated to schools, hospitals, and community centers, extending the project’s impact beyond the streets.
Make some music this weekend, New York! 🎶
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